Heidi and high-tech in the Swiss pavilion in Osaka
Keystone-SDA
Switzerland is presenting itself as an innovative and sustainable country at the World Expo in Osaka.
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Its pavilion offers a programme ranging from Heidi to high-tech. The World Expo opens its doors on Sunday.
The Swiss presentation reflects the development of Switzerland, from its natural heritage in the Alps to a globally recognised centre for cutting-edge technology, writes Presence Switzerland in the press kit for the World Expo.
The official mascot of the Swiss pavilion is Heidi – in the Japanese comic version of the protagonist of Johanna Spyri’s children’s book. According to Presence Switzerland, the aim is to further strengthen the already close relationship between Switzerland and Japan.
In response to an enquiry from the Keystone-SDA news agency, the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) did not initially provide any information on whether members of the Federal Council were planning to travel to Osaka. One possible date would be 22 April, the official Swiss day at the World Expo.
According to the intentions of official Switzerland, the Swiss pavilion should be the one on the exhibition site with the smallest ecological footprint. It consists of a company building and five adjoining spherical exhibition rooms.
The five “spheres” are supported by a lightweight construction over which a film is stretched. The shell of the exhibition rooms weighs just 400 kilograms. According to the FDFA, this corresponds to just one per cent of the weight of conventional building envelopes.
The film will be reused for the construction of furniture after the exhibition. The functional building consists of modular elements that have already been used in the past and will also be reused after Expo 2025.
From climate to AI
Switzerland is presenting 25 projects from universities of applied sciences, research institutes and companies in its pavilion. These include innovations in the life sciences, health and nutrition, sustainability, climate and energy, robotics and artificial intelligence.
The cost of the pavilion is CHF19.4 million. Of this, the federal government is covering CHF13.2 million, while sponsors are contributing CHF4.4 million.
The World Expo in Osaka runs from 13 April to 13 October. Its motto is “Planning the society of the future, designing the life of tomorrow”. The organisers are expecting around 28 million visitors, with around 150 countries taking part in the world exhibition.
Translated from German with DeepL/mga
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